During the period from April to October of the current fiscal year, a significant amount of Rs 35,132 crore in Input Tax Credit (ITC) evasion has been uncovered by GST officers. This evasion is linked to over 17,000 fraudulent firms.

To combat this issue, the government has implemented various measures, including the use of data analytics and intelligence gathering by both central and state authorities. A special coordinated drive was conducted from August 16 to October 30, with the specific aim of identifying and dismantling these fraudulent operations. As a result of these efforts, 69 individuals have been arrested in connection with the evasion schemes.

Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary reported to the Lok Sabha that a total of 18,876 cases of ITC fraud were identified, involving 17,818 fake entities.